chapter twelve: So you’re moving, time to pack!
It’s no surprise that we all collectively hate packing and that’s ok. Packing isn’t easy and it’s not a quick task either.
I’ve moved a good amount in my life and I will not lie to you, I hate it! Moving is so stressful and overwhelming and just all around exhausting. It’s more so the packing for the move, I find the unpacking in a new place very exciting. And if you packed right then unpacking is much much easier to handle.
The one and only important thing I learned from moving is organization is key! You have to have a plan and a list, otherwise it ends up being you throwing things in boxes because you have no time and you need things to get going.
Lucky for you, I’ve put together a little step by step guide to help make packing for a move a little bit easier.
STEP ONE: A packing list. You need to make sure you have all the things you need to start packing your space.
Packing List:
BOXES- Small, Medium & Large. - Boxes are expensive, a little tip is to check your local neighborhood app or Facebook market for moving boxes. You may even find some for free.
TAPE & TAPE GUN - make sure you buy a few rolls of tape and a tape gun is crucial!!
BUBBLE WRAP- for any super fragile pieces.
BROWN PAPER - for wrapping all your kitchen and fragile pieces- can be used instead of bubble wrap.
SHEETS & TOWELS: highly recommend using them as base in your box before packing all your fragile pieces.
CLOSET BOXES- these are very important to have, they make moving your closet so much easier, they’re a little pricy but worth it and you can store them for your next move or can resell them.
STEP TWO: The room break down. Break down your place by room, this is a very important step because it helps you get organized. Focusing on one room at a time makes the whole process less overwhelming. The best way to go about this is to start with rooms that you don’t necessarily use or use the items in that room on a daily basis. This also counts for storage hallway closets or storage units. The key is to tackle at these rooms until all you have left to pack is the things you’ve been using up to your moving day. I have found that the below break down works the best. - Please note that step two and step three go hand in hand, before you starting the packing process in your broken down rooms you need to do step three first.
2. ROOM BREAK DOWN:
DINNING ROOM- pack it all up. You don’t need to use the dinning room until you move into your new space.
LIVING ROOM- pack away all your decorative items and little things that are not furniture. You should only be left with bare shelves and tables and just your furniture and TV.
KITCHEN- start with all the kitchen items and supplies that you don’t use on the regular basis first. Once you’re done you should only be left with a set of plates, a pan, a pot and a few glasses and coffee mugs out to get you through the few days you have left.
HOME OFFICE- leave only the things you use out and everything else should be boxed up and ready to go.
STORAGE CLOSET/HALLWAY CLOSET - it’s called storage closet for a reason, you barely use it so pack it all up and be done with it.
BATHROOM- all your back stock of wellness and self care products, make up, nail polish, all the extra stuff you can live without for a few days,
BEDROOM- start with everything in your bedroom that isn’t your closet or dresser. All your accessories and decor first, and then get into your dresser and closet and only pack items that aren’t in season or aren’t everyday clothes.
STEP THREE: Decluttering. The best thing about moving is you get to go through everything you have. You will discover things you forgot you had or why you even bought. It’s the best time to really declutter and get rid of anything that you don’t use or doesn’t serve you anymore. Use the room break down above and with in each room, declutter as you go and only pack what’s necessary for you. You don’t want to move things into the new place that you won’t use and will end up taking up space. Your new place is a fresh start with new ideas, it’s a blank canvas that you get to paint and that’s the only fun thing in moving. The excitement of a new home!
STEP FOUR: Packing. After getting your packing list together, breaking down each room and decluttering now the packing starts. If you followed the above steps this part should be easy for you.
4. PACKING :
LABEL- label all your boxes with what room they belong in and with what’s in them so it’s easier to unpack at the new place.
COLOR CODE: color code your boxes by stickers so it’s easier for movers to place them into the correct rooms in the new place.
CLOSET- using the closet boxes, packing clothes has never been so easy. All you do is move the clothes from the closet and hang them in the closet boxes. Pack it in the same order as your closet now and label each box with what’s in it and number it. When you get to the new place start with box one and unpack, by the end you’ll have an unpacked organized closet.
PLANTS- place all your plants in a box with a towel at the bottom, that way they’re all in one spot and if you need to water them or worried of spilling it will all fall on the towel.
BOOKS/MAGAZINES- pack your books and magazines with other things. In other words split them up and add to different boxes to spread the weight and not end up with a really heavy box to move. Label the boxes that have them inside so it’s easier to unpack and also easy to move for the movers.
ARTWORK - if you have nice and expensive art work, posters or pictures wrap them with paint plastic sheeting to keep them from getting scratched.
MAKE IT FUN- put on your best playlist, dance, drink, and pack. Make the best of it and look forward to your new place and thank your old place for all the memories.
I hope these few steps make the chaos a little less chaotic and keeps you a little sane.
Happy packing and good luck in your place.